A progression of three yoga classes charting the evolution of surfing, as we turn our yoga mats into surfboards, to celebrate the winter element of water by founding Yoga Teacher Amy Weidlich @amyariel @lotusbayyoga
Yoga Week 1: From Hawaiian Tradition to Longboard Carving
First Up - From a Hawaiian Tradition to Longboard Carving - we explore the sport of Kings and Queens, when it was always, all about the joy. A very act of communing with nature and being in flow. We track the art of surfing from it's Hawaiian heritage to it's Australian shores when Isabel Letham was Australia's first surfer as she rode tandem with Duke Kahanamoku at Manly Beach. We track surfings adventure to long boards, big waves and the beginnings of a world competition and the promise of the Endless Summer. Our yoga will be a gentle flow, a playful exploration of our mats/boards and a connection with the natural rhythms of our body, through the ebb and flow of the breath.
Maids on the Wave by Wallace Mackay, 1874 - Join Lotus Bay Yoga for a three part yoga series paying tribute to the history of surfing.
Yoga Week 2: Short Board Revolution - Fire and Athleticism
Secondly - Short Board Revolution - From Tom Carrol to Kelly Slater, Shaun Thompson to Tom Curren, Mick Fanning WOW and trail blazer Layne Beachley. In this yoga practice we get a fire in our belly to be be the best we can be. We learn that it's not just about being the water, it's about attending to our craft, to keep paddling out. To train our whole bodies and when we lose our way - evolve that to training our minds and caring for our souls too as we fire up to keep on THE SEARCH. We fall off and then we paddle back out to push the outer limits of what's possible in this soulful sport. Our yoga will be dynamic, in avid flow, we'll twist and turn our manipura chakra and check if our ego is over or undercharged.
Composite Photo Credit: SurferToday
Week 2 Yoga Practice we dig the short board revolution and fire it up with a passionate yoga practice as we see the rise of professional athleticism is surfing, at Lotus Bay Yoga.
Yoga Week 3: Anything Goes - Paradigm Lost - Soul Surfers Rise
Finally - Anything Goes - as we return to soul surfing & big wave riding! Whole families of Surfers choose the boards of their choice. The new superstars are polymath riders like Kai Lenny who are good at everything and choose the board that suits the conditions and their pursuit of joy! Families take turns riding soft fun boards, getting out the back on the SUP and we see the re-prise of windsurfing. Tom Wegeners balsa slide boards take it right back to the start - honouring the original Hawaiian designs. It's now that the longboard revolution is well and truly returned - with it's own world tour; while short board riders are re-exploring shapes like the fish - playing with their fin set ups and charging like never before with an athleticism to be admired! For our yoga practice we notice how we can choose the modality or practice that suits our bodies and we learn from mixing it up on our yoga mats, as well as in the water!
Photo Credit: Kai Lenny Paradigm Lost
The Paradigm has well and truly been lost. Anything goes and soul surfing is where it's at, join @amyariel of Lotus Bay Yoga at Driftwood Living in the heart of Little Bay Village in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs for a three part surfing progression yoga practice.
Catch the wave with Lotus Bay Yoga on Saturdays in August at 7.45am:
Week 1 - Saturday 11th August (reprise Wednesday after)
Week 2 - Saturday 18th August (reprise Wednesday after)
Week 3 - Saturday 25th August (reprise Wednesday after)
Visit here to buy your three practice pass, or just pick up any of our class packs of 4 or 10 classes and sign in to the class. You can also buy one offs and simply come along to the practice you can make it to.